The subject matter disclosed herein relates generally to turbine combustors, and, more particularly to a structure configured to provide cooling within turbine combustors.
A gas turbine engine combusts a fuel-air mixture in a combustion chamber of a turbine combustor, and then drives one or more turbines with the resulting hot combustion gas. In such systems, the combustor generates a significant amount of heat. This heat can cause thermal expansion, as well as wear or potential damage to various components within the system. In some gas turbine engines, a head end of the combustor includes one or more fuel nozzles, which provide fuel and air for combustion in a combustion chamber. Unfortunately, the high temperatures of combustion can cause thermal expansion of portions of the combustor, including the fuel nozzles. This thermal expansion can lead to reduced performance, stress, cracks, and other problems.